Tech Talk: HTC One M8 vs HTC One Mini 2

Picking which smartphone to buy can be a pretty difficult choice, and HTC hasn't made things any easier by launching two phones which look almost identical.

The HTC One Mini 2, which will launch in the UK next month, looks like a shrunken version of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One M8.

So which should you choose?

In terms of storage, battery life and software, the two phones are almost identical, so let's look at the difference which help you decide which to buy.

Design:

The biggest and most obvious difference between the two phones is of course their physical size.

The One M8 has a 5in screen and a large footprint, which is significantly wider and taller than the much more compact Mini 2, which has a 4.5in screen.

In terms of weight, as you would expect the Mini 2 is much lighter, weighing in at 137 grams as opposed to 160 grams for the larger phone, but the Mini is not too light so as to feel flimsy.

HTC has again skimped slightly on the use of premium materials for the mini version of its flagship phone, using a plastic surround on the Mini 2 compared to the all-metal construction of the One M8.

Both of these phone are superbly designed and built, and while the HTC One M8 has more premium materials, the mini doesn't feel as if it is anything but a high end phone.

The big factor for me in choosing which I prefer simply comes down to the fact that I prefer a slightly smaller phone - if you could call a phone with a 4.5in screen small - but many people will want a larger screen to watch films and play games, meaning the HTC One M8 is the likely choice.

Camera:

The second major area where HTC has downgraded with the Mini 2 is the camera.

The HTC One M8 introduced the Duo Camera which added a depth sensor to work alongside the 4 megapixel Ultrapixel sensor to allow users create lots of funky 3D depth of field effects. HTC also included a dual flash for better low light performance and more natural looking images.

HTC has not included either of these on the Mini 2, using a more conventional 13 Megapixel sensor, which is perfectly acceptable but won't challenge the likes of Sony's Xperia Z2 or Nokia's Lumia 1020 for picture quality.

Both phones feature high resolution 5 megapixel sensors on the front.

Processing Power:

This is one of the biggest areas where HTC has cut corners on its smaller phone. The flagship One M8 features the most powerful Snapdragon 801 chip from Qualcomm along with 2GB of RAM.

The One Mini 2 however comes with a much less powerful Snapdragon 400 chip with just 1 GB of RAM.

What this means in the real world is that no matter what you throw at the M8, it should be able to handle without blinking. And while the Mini 2 is able to handle most operations without a problem, graphically intense 3D games will see it struggle slightly.

Price:

The final - and possibly most important difference - is price.

The HTC One M8 costs £530 to buy outright, with contracts currently on offer for £28-a-month with no upfront cost.

HTC has yet to announce SIM-free pricing for the One Mini 2, but considering the original mini cost £379 when it launched last year, I would expect the price to remain the same this time around.

You can pre-order the phone on contracts of £25-a-month for no up front cost.

Conclusion:

HTC has produced two superb phones, and despite looking quite similar, they are aimed at two distinct markets.

The HTC One M8 is aimed at the person looking for cutting-edge technology, who want to watch movies on the go and be able to play Grand Theft Auto on their commute.

The HTC One Mini on the other hand is aimed at those who want a well built and beautifully designed phone, but don't need a huge screen or the faster processor, and who are happy playing Candy Crush instead of GTA.